Human Life International

(This is the 2nd in a Lenten series to educate people on some of the leading Pro-Life Organizations as well as encouraging financial support for them.)

This week we look at Human Life International. It was started 1972 Fr. Paul Marx, OSB. At that time he formed formed the Human Life Center at St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota in anticipation of the legalization of abortion on the horizon in the United States. The Center sponsored international conferences to train people to fight the anti-life movement which was gaining momentum all over the world.

In 1981 Fr. Marx moved to Washington DC. With only a few dollars in his pocket, a broken down car, and the Holy Spirit as his guide, he established an international network of pro-life activists and professionals based upon his two decades of pro-life work and travel. We know this as Human Life International. For his work Pope John Paul II called him"the Apostle of Life". In 2002 he received the prestigious Cardinal John J. O'Connor 'Unambiguously Pro-Life Award' from Legatus. Fr. Marx is currently in retirement at St. John's Abbey, Collegeville MN.

Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer became president of Human Life International in December of 2000. A priest of the diocese of Palm Beach, his "pro-life activity began in the early years of his priesthood with prayer vigils, pilgrimages, pickets at abortion mills, sidewalk counseling and the establishment of a crisis pregnancy center across the street from an abortion mill in 1999."

Fr. Euteneuer has spoken all over the world (including DBQ). He has appeared on EWTN & other news media. Probably 1 of his most famous appearances was when he took on Sean Hannity. Hannity claimed to be a good Catholic yet supports birth control. Appearing on his show, Fr. Euteneuer defended Church teaching on contraception. He was awarded the John Cardinal O’Connor Award for Life from Legatus in 2005 and the “Soldier of the Church Militant” Award from the Brent Society in 2007.

"The mission of HLI is to create effective opposition to the culture of death around the world. With 99 satellite offices in 80 countries, Human Life International is the largest international, pro-life, pro-family, pro-woman organization in the world. As a non-profit, educational apostolate, HLI takes a total approach to the life issues from the moment of natural fertilization to the moment of natural death. This holy mission is consecrated to Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Mother of Life, and St. Joseph, Her most chaste spouse."

They "exist not only to fight the evils of abortion, contraception, sex education and family breakdown, but also to bring the good news of the Gospel of Life to the nations. In many countries, HLI is the pro-life movement. Were it not for HLI, whole continents, like Africa, would be left virtually defenseless against the culture of death." Sad but true. They have been leading the battle against such groups as Planned Parenthood International as they try to infiltrate these 3rd world countries.

They have sponsored more than 70 international conferences and over 50 conferences in the United States. "By means of our pro-life missionary trips, we've also advised, inspired and trained pro-life leaders, families, seminarians and students in approximately 160 foreign lands. The methods we employ in each country depend upon the varying needs of the people and regions we are working in."

"In fulfilling this mission they work to train, organize and equip pro-life leaders around the world. They are completely faithful to the Holy Father and the Magisterium. But, they are also ecumenical and work with people of all faiths to advance the cause of life.

Among the things they have done over the years:

1. In El Salvador, HLI's affiliate persuaded lawmakers to amend the constitution so as to secure and protect "the life of the unborn from conception."
2. In Tanzania, HLI's teen chastity outreach programs brought to national attention the United Nation's designs to force young people to use defective condoms; HLI's detective work resulted in the destruction of over 10 million condoms.
3. HLI's office in Ireland prevented murder on the high seas by stopping the Dutch abortion ship Aurora from circumventing Ireland's pro-life laws.

Among the things done throuth their satellite offices:

1. Found crisis pregnancy centers
2. Teach young couples NFP
3. Inform parents about the dangers of sex education
4. Train seminarians to be pro-life priests
5. Equip counselors to advise families in crisis
6. Educate civic leaders on pro-life issues
7. Host pro-life and pro-family radio and television programs

HLI has an Hispanic outreach, Vida Humana Internacional. (VHI) VHI "is the Hispanic Division of HLI working in 22 countries of Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and among Hispanics in the U.S. VHI affiliates carry out a life-saving work of prevention, education and service in their countries. VHI is strategically based in Miami, Florida, which is the gateway to the Americas."

Many of their other International Affiliates also have their own websites.

Every week Fr. Euteneuer sends out a e-newsletter Spirit & Life. In it he looks at avariety of todays current issues & events as they relate to the Pro-Life movement. They also put out a monthly mailing, HLI Special Report, that updates donors on the work they are doing worldwide.

The website has many other tools to help Pro-Lifers. 1 of those, the Pro-Life Talking Points Series is meant to supply pro-life activists with clear and concise information with which to argue against common misinformation they will encounter while debating life issues. You are able to download, copy, and distribute these one-page (two-sided) documents as needed. Other pages have HLI Commentaries by various members of HLI's staff, an on-line Catalog & a Pro-Life CD Library.

Seminarians for Life was founded in 1989 by Rev. Paul Marx, O.S.B., SFLI was instituted as a worldwide pro-life educational apostolate for Catholic seminarians. It currently reaches seminaries around the world via the SFLI newsletter and pro-life educational training.

Humanae Vitae Priests work with priests to provide information in order to help them to teach Pope Paul VI's prophetic encyclical Humanae Vitae.

St. Michael Prayer Campaign was started because HLI "is convinced that invoking Saint Michael's protection is necessary in the Church's victory over the satanic attacks against innocent human life that characterize our modern world." They are calling on people to join in "reciting the Saint Michael Prayer with the intention of respect for human life from conception to natural death and the conversion of abortionists."

They are also asking people to sign a petition to re-establish the universal practice of saying the Saint Michael Prayer after Mass. (Click here) "It would be most appropriate for the Holy Father to ask Catholics everywhere to unite in a powerful prayer to cast out the greatest evil of our times, the slaughter of almost two billion innocent children whose blood cries out to heaven."

Finally, another of the things HLI does is publish a quarterly magazine, Front Lines. In it they give out 2 awards. 1 is the Cardinal von Galen Award. It is given quarterly to a Catholic prelate who has been a voice of conscience for his society. "HLI believes that good bishops who act like true shepherds in protecting the sheep from the assaults of the modern age need our support, and their example needs to be spread far and wide."

"Clemens August von Galen, Bishop of Muenster, is a name that struck fear into the heart of Adolph Hitler in the 30s and 40s. The supporters of Bishop von Galen so admired his courage in standing up for the victims of the Nazi euthanasia program that they called him the “Lion of Muenster.” An award in the name of Cardinal von Galen is given by HLI to the Catholic priest or prelate who, like von Galen, has stood against the aggressions of the culture of death and who shows the Church and the world that the moral conscience can never be silenced."

The 2nd award is the Millstone award. It "is of course inspired by the Lord’s words castigating the theological frauds of His own time for their dishonesty: “Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin” (Lk 17:1-2). And in the very next verse of that passage, the Lord said, “If your brother sins, rebuke him.” This award is then an exercise of public rebuke for those who cause public scandal! The recipients of this rebuke are persons in public life who represent themselves as Catholics and take advantage of their public position to knowingly advance positions or behaviors contrary to the clear teachings of our Faith."

Last week I received the Winter 2009 Issue. On Monday I will post the winner of the von Galen Award & on Tuesday, the Millstone winner. Regular readers of this blog may already have a pretty good idea who will be getting those awards this time arround. Let's just say, they both definitely earned it. & the von Galen award winner is still showing he deserves it. (Now if that doesn't give it away.)

So, why does HLI do all this? "The babies are the reason why. Everything HLI does is dedicated to saving lives and strengthening families throughout the world. Because we are the only pro-life presence in many countries—and because the culture of death is active on so many fronts—HLI's global approach to the life issues is indispensable."

I couldn't put it better.

(Note: all quotes in Italics are taken from their website.)

Next week: Life Issues Institute, Inc.